This invention relates to apparatus for contacting immiscible or partly miscible liquids, for example for the purpose of extracting a material contained in one of the liquids and transferring it as completely as possible to the other liquid.
Such apparatus has been described in British Pat. Specifications Nos. 972035 and 1037573 and copending Application No. 23633/78. The apparatus of Specification No. 972035 consists of a container through which the liquids can flow in countercurrent in a substantially horizontal direction, and a rotor mounted within the container and having a number of rotor discs spaced apart axially with a gap between the edge of each disc and the interior surface of the container, so as to produce a series of connected compartments, and receptacles for liquid arranged between the discs. As the rotor turns, the buckets transfer liquid from one phase and discharge the liquid into the other phase, through which the discharged liquid passes back to the first phase.